USDA Announces Request for Applications for FY 2015 Farm to School Grants


Last Updated: March 23, 2014
 

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The purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. On an annual basis, USDA awards up to $5 million in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs. In FY 2015,the USDA will make approximately an additional $500,000 available to eligible entities to support conferences, trainings, and events focused on farm to school program development.

In this funding round, the USDA is soliciting applications for four types of grants:

1. Planning grants are intended for school districts or schools just starting to incorporate farm to school program elements into their operations.

2. Implementation grants are intended for school districts or schools to help scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives.

3. Support Service grants are intended for state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, and non-profit entities working with school districts or schools to further develop existing farm to school initiatives and to provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives.

4. Conference/Event grants are open to all interested parties. They are intended to support conferences, events and trainings that strengthen farm to school supply chains, or conferences, events and trainings that provide technical assistance in the area of local procurement, food safety, culinary education and integration of agriculture‐based curriculum.

Planning, Implementation, and Support service proposals due via grants.gov are due April 30, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST. A 25% cash or in-kind match of the total project cost is required. Letters of Intent for Conference/Event grants are due April 2, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST.

For more information about these USDA Webinars and the Farm to Schools Grant Program , please visit USDA Farm to Schools Grant Program FY 2015